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ThrillerMystery

Strange Illusion

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An adolescent believes that his widowed mother's suitor may have murdered his father.

Release Date : 1945-03-31

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : PRC

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Out of the Night

Cast

Jimmy Lydon

Character Name : Paul Cartwright

Original Name : Jimmy Lydon

Gender : Male

Warren William

Character Name : Brett Curtis

Original Name : Warren William

Gender : Male

Sally Eilers

Character Name : Virginia Cartwright

Original Name : Sally Eilers

Gender : Female

Regis Toomey

Character Name : Dr. Vincent

Original Name : Regis Toomey

Gender : Male

Charles Arnt

Character Name : Professor Muhlbach

Original Name : Charles Arnt

Gender : Male

George H. Reed

Character Name : Benjamin

Original Name : George H. Reed

Gender : Male

Jayne Hazard

Character Name : Dorothy Cartwright

Original Name : Jayne Hazard

Gender : Female

Jimmy Clark

Character Name : George Hanover

Original Name : Jimmy Clark

Gender : Male

Mary McLeod

Character Name : Lydia

Original Name : Mary McLeod

Gender : Female

Pierre Watkin

Character Name : District Attorney Wallace Armstrong

Original Name : Pierre Watkin

Gender : Male

Sonia Sorel

Character Name : Charlotte Farber

Original Name : Sonia Sorel

Gender : Female

Theresa Harris

Character Name : Maid

Original Name : Theresa Harris

Gender : Female

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-03-22

Shortly after his father dies, the bright young “Paul” (Jimmy Lydon) starts to have nightmares that his mother’s new beau is, in some way, behind the death. Of course, she (Sally Ellers) doesn’t know of his spooky suspicions, but he does confide in his doctor (Regis Toomey) who is sceptical to begin with, but who begins to wonder if this man “Curtis” (Warren William) is indeed whom he claims to be. Might he have had an hand in the seemingly accidental death of the father - who was a judge? As the story develops, the young lad has to take up residence at the asylum of the enigmatic “Prof. Muhlbach” (Charles Ant) and the plot thickens more. Is there any truth to his dreaming or is he just a succumbing to the stresses and strains of his father’s death and of his mother’s impending nuptials? Lydon holds this together enthusiastically and as the mystery deepens, it has a slightly more sinister feel to it than many of these standard afternoon features. It also touches, albeit superficially, on the effects of grief on the young man and offers us something psychologically plausible for a while as “Paul” struggles to conclude himself whether he is correct or just losing the plot. Speaking of plots, yes there are some familiarities with other noir mysteries here, but Lydon does well and this certainly is just a little more menacingly different.